


December 15th: Christmas Crush

by Dazeventura6



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mistaken Identity, One-Sided Attraction, Recovered_ProfilersForChristmas2017, outsider's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-13 11:59:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12983601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazeventura6/pseuds/Dazeventura6
Summary: Someone has a little crush. Maybe working together on the nativity play will help with the developing relationship....maybe not.





	December 15th: Christmas Crush

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [FA_ProfilersForChristmas2017](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/FA_ProfilersForChristmas2017) collection. 



> Yeah...this one went a little sideways from the original prompt I think. Hope you like it.
> 
> Thanks as always to my lovely beta.

Miss Norton had seen him when he came to pick up Jack , something he did nearly every day; h e was truly wonderful with the boy , and Jack clearly adored him. On the  rare occasions  when he didn’t come to pick  him, his aunt  would do it . At first, she ’ d been wary, wondering if maybe this was Mrs. Hotchner , but when she ’ d asked the other teachers  about it,  they had told her the tragic story of the boy’s mother.

That was also when she learned that the beautiful man she so admired was an FBI agent of all things. He was just so damn good looking that she couldn’t help but admire him, and this new information merely increased that admiration. At first, she’d just watched him from afar, but then she got to meet him at the parent conferences at the beginning of the year and she was hooked.

The man was not just beautiful but brilliant as well , not to mention adorably shy, apologizing for being alone as if she didn’t already know the whole sad story \--didn’t already know why he was the only parent there for the meeting . She had assured Dr. Hotchner that i t was perfectly alright and she understood , to which she had just gotten a relieved and slightly puzzled smile  in return,  which she ’ d dismissed , going on to talk about the man’s frankly quite gifted son. Considering how smart the father was , it wasn’t surprising  that  the son was  also  gifted.

After the conferences, she tried to find other reasons to meet and talk to the man , but  her attempts seemed to be in vain; and  he always  appeared to be in a hurry to get Jack and leave , so she didn’t feel comfortable approaching him  at the end of the school day . Finally though, as Christmas approached , a chance comment from Jack about how much his papa knew about the festival \-- among other things \-- provided her with what she thought would be the perfect opportunity to get closer to the man. With that in mind , the next time she saw him picking up Jack she approached them and smiled at the boy , who was pointing in her direction and telling his father something.

“Hello, Dr. Hotchner,” Miss. Norton said as she got closer, “ I was wondering...c ould you spare a few minutes?”

“Spencer, please,” the chestnut haired man said , giving her the same strange look he ’ d given her the last time she ’d called him that, “ And yeah, s ure . I s Jack doing ok in class?” 

“Oh no , Jack ’ s fine. I was just wondering if you might be free to help out with the nativity play that Jack’s class is putting on. We wanted to incorporate some actual history of the festival , and Jack says that you ’ re quite knowledgeable about these things,” she quickly answered, blushing slightly despite her best efforts, “I am aware that you have a busy and unpredictable schedule , but we would be  so  grateful  if you could spare a bit of your time.”  She added  the last part,  trying desperately to control her blush , yet only succeeding in reddening further  with her efforts. Luckily Dr. Hotchner…no  _ Spencer _ \-- he ’ d asked her to call him Spencer ... didn’t notice her embarrassment  because he was looking at Jack.

“Ummm sure, I think I can manage that Miss. Norton. What do you say Jack- J ack? ” he asked with a grin, “ Would you like me to help?” 

“Yes, Papa! That’d be so awesome!” the boy screeched, bouncing with enthusiasm, “You know everything, and if you help our play’ll be the best in the school!”

“Great so….we should meet up and discuss this sometime,” she said,  then added with a blush, “Oh, a nd you can call me  Genevieve.”

“Ummm , sure. There’s a coffee shop not too far from our place,” Spencer said , smiling back shyly, “We can meet there this weekend , and  I’m sure we can  come up with something informative and fun for the kids  to enjoy ……Genevieve.” 

After quickly exchanging numbers and affirming their plans ,  Genevieve practically skipped off to get the last of her prep-work done for the next day so she could leave.  This was going to be the start of something amazing with Jack’s dad, she just knew it.

She had always been sort of awkward and geeky, and she never really had much luck with dating, but she was sure things were going to be different with the gorgeous Dr. Hotchner. After all, Spencer was just as geeky and awkward as she was.   

*************************  
Saturday dawned and Genevieve was so excited and nervous about this coffee date. She changed her outfit several times, wanting to look good but also casual; she didn’t want to come on too strong or look too dressed up for the coffee shop. After debating it with herself, she finally settled on jeans and a warm burgundy sweater that was soft and pettable, pairing it with simple hoops in her ears and no other jewelry. She brushed her long dark hair into a shining waterfall and then left it loose, allowing it to flow over her shoulders.      
By the time she was satisfied with the way she looked it was nearly time to leave, especially if she wanted to get there on time, so she quickly grabbed her notes on what she had planned for the nativity play and ran out the door. She’d kept checking her phone all week to make sure that they were still on for coffee, and Spencer hadn’t had to cancel on her so she was beyond thrilled, to say the least.   
When she got there, she spotted him sitting in a corner booth rapidly flipping through a book like he was looking for something more than actually reading. She ran a quick, nervous hand through her hair, took a deep breath, and walked forward.  
“Dr. Hotch--ummm, I mean Spencer, hi!” she said, sitting down opposite him and placing her folder of ideas on the table between them. “I’m not late, am I?” she asked with a shy smile, “I’m really glad you could help out like this.”  
“Hi. And no, you’re fine. I just got here myself,” Spencer said, returning her smile as he shut his book and tucked it away in his bag, “I’m glad I can help. Besides, it’ll give me some extra time with Jack as well, something for the two of us to do together.”   
Close up she could see that Spencer looked extremely tired\--bags under his eyes like he hadn’t been getting nearly enough sleep; but his smile was still bright, and it made her heart flutter when she saw it. “I’m really glad you could make it today,” she gushed, “I was worried that you might have to cancel. I know your schedule isn’t the most reliable.”

“ Well,  I  did  almost ha ve to cancel , but we caught a break yesterday and managed to wrap up the case just in time, ” he said, smiling as he gestured with his hands, “A nd   so... here I am.” 

After they’d ordered their drinks they started discussing the plans Genevieve had for the Christmas play, and slowly they added on to it and adjusted it to make it both interesting and fun for the kids. They also had to find at least a line or two for every kid to recite so nobody would feel left out. They worked together companionably throughout the afternoon, discussions about the play being diverted by occasional rambles on other related subjects that the teacher found informative and adorable. They even managed to incorporate a couple of the things in Spencer’s rambles into the play.  
Once they were finally finished discussing the play, Genevieve found herself feeling reluctant for the date\--because that's what she'd begun to think of this meeting as--to end; and so, she hunted around for a topic they could talk about to prolong their visit. That's when she spotted the book Spencer had been looking through when she’d walked in.  
“Were you looking for something?” she asked, indicating the book.  
Spencer followed her gaze and then shook his head, blushing. “No,” he answered, “I um, just read really fast. Sometimes it looks like I'm searching for something.”   
“Can you really read that fast?” she asked incredulously, unable to hide her awe and disbelief.  
“Um, yeah, actually. I uh, have an eidetic memory so it kinda comes with that. I have a reading speed of 20,000 words per minute,” he temporized, flushing darker as he examined the book.  
Cursing herself for embarrassing this brilliant man, she hesitantly put her hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I think that’s amazing,” she countered, smiling softly, “So, what were you reading?” she quickly added, trying to change the subject, “Is it good?” 

“Oh , it's  just an old favorite of mine: Le Morte D’Arthur . M y mother used to read it to me when I was a kid. ” Spencer sighed, smiling fondly. He looked down at the book once more as he gently drew his hand away. Clearing his throat, he added, “ I’m thinking of starting Jack on this in the new year.”

“Oh yes ... chivalry, knights ...I’d say that's  perfect for him,” she agreed , ignoring the slight pang it gave her to have him pull his hand away. 

And just like that, they started a talking about books\--the ones they themselves had read as kids, and some of the newer books that were popular now.  
Before they knew it, a couple of hours had passed and it was getting dark out. Spencer looked up and noticed the darkness falling, then checked his watch. He quickly stood, excusing himself, stating that he needed to get home but promising to stop by whenever he could for rehearsals.   
She was disappointed that there hadn’t even been a goodbye hug, and she understood the demands of being a single parent, but she was still left feeling rather bereft. With a sigh, she packed up her things, deciding to look on the bright side: her usual awkwardness hadn’t been much of a hindrance today, and they’d been talking almost like they’d been friends for years. She’d never felt so comfortable with someone so quickly before.  
With that thought cheering her up, she practically skipped out to her car. There would be other opportunities for dates and kisses with the gorgeous Dr. Hotchner, she was sure of it.  
*********************  
Rehearsals were going fine and Jack’s dad had shown up for every single one that he’d been in town for; but they had both been so focused on the kids that there hadn’t been any more opportunities for private conversations, let alone anything else. Before she knew it, they were almost done and doing the dress rehearsal.   
They may not have had much alone time, but she’d still tried to flirt with Spencer whenever the opportunity arose. At one point she’d even done the hair flippy thing her girlfriends had told her always worked, but she only ended up hitting him in the face and poking him in the eye with her hair. She’d been so embarrassed by that that she hadn’t had the guts to try anything else. It had been even worse than trying to bat her eyelashes at the man -- that at least hadn’t hurt him -- he’d merely looked confused for a minute and asked her if she had something in her eye.  
She knew she was terrible at flirting, but she had tried everything she could think of and gotten no response from the beautiful genius other than a couple of puzzled looks.

She was running out of time. 

It was now or never. 

She could comfort herself in the fact that they did work together as easily as if they’d been doing it forever, and they seemed well on their way to being firm friends. He even got all her geeky jokes and made a few of his own in return. But there just seemed to be no progress in moving forward in a romantic fashion.  
As she helped the children with their lines during rehearsal, she mused that perhaps she merely wasn’t being clear enough, maybe she should just come out and ask him out. It was the only thing she could think of that she hadn’t tried already, and she really didn’t want to do it. She would make a mess of it if she tried, she was sure. 

Dejectedly, she wondered if it was really worth ruining the friendship that had sprung up between her and the chestnut-haired genius by asking him out if he really didn’t have feelings for her.   
She resolved to give it one last try the next day during the play, and if he still didn’t respond to her flirtations she would give up.  
***************

The day of the nativity play dawned rainy and gloomy, and Genevieve had the misfortune of sleeping past her alarm. For some reason, her clock had stopped and she’d had to rush to make it to school on time. She arrived dripping and unhappy, having forgotten her umbrella and gotten soaked in her dash from her car to the school doors. And to make matters worse, as she’d rushed in, she’d slipped on a puddle of water near the entrance and went flying, almost crashing into the planter at the end of the hall. 

This didn ’ t put her in the best of moods.

She finally got to the teacher’s lounge only to find that the coffee machine was out of grounds and they were unlikely to get any more before the term ended the next day. This really did n’ t bode well for the rest of the day. Sighing unhappily , she walked towards the auditorium to put the finishing touches on some of the costumes and scenery.

A few hours later, as she was finishing up, the smell of coffee hit her senses and she looked up to see none other than Dr. Hotchner standing there watching her. He held two to go cups in his hands from the same shop they'd met at all those weeks ago, grinning as he offered one to her. 

“Here,” he said, smiling, “I thought you could use one of these today.”

“Oh, you’re a lifesaver! I could literally kiss you right now,” she blurted, noticing a blush rise on the genius’ cheeks. A moment later, Jack ran up to them, dragging him away to fix something on his costume.

Unhappy about the interruption, she took a sip of the coffee and perked up as she realized that he’d remembered exactly how she took it. Maybe there was hope for them yet. Pleased with the thought, she hummed to herself as she finished drinking her coffee and went about helping the children get into their costumes and set up for the play.

She took every opportunity she could to flirt with Spencer and noticed a few of the spectators who had shown up\--who clearly knew both Jack and Spencer\--were looking at her oddly, especially a very serious looking dark-haired man wearing an impeccable suit. He seemed to be glaring at her quite intensely, actually. She couldn’t understand the behavior, so she just decided to ignore it. After all, it was no business of theirs if Spencer wanted to date again.

The play went on without a hitch, and all the kids remembered their lines with minimal prompting, much to her relief. Flushed from the success, she walked towards where Spencer was standing with Jack, eager to share the joy of a job well done with him. As she approached, however, she saw Jack tear off towards the dark-haired man who’d been glaring at her before.

“Dad, Dad, Dad! Did you see me? Did you see me up there? I was awesome! I even remembered all my lines!” Jack cried, hugging the suit-clad man, “You know Papa wrote them all, right?”

     “Yes Jack , I  _ did _ see,” the man laughed, hugging the boy back and placing a kiss to his tousled blond hair, “ You were great , and s o was Spencer. I’m very proud of you both.”  After that, t he man straightened up and smiled lovingly at Spencer , who had since joined them . He  leaned forward  and placed a quick , chaste kiss  to the genius’ lips , making him blush and duck his head.

As the three greeted their other guests , Genevieve stood  in  stunned  silence  by this  new and unexpected development. Quickly grabbing one of the older teachers , she asked, “Who ’ s that dark-haired man Jack ’ s with?”

      “ Oh, t hat’s Jack’s dad ,” the teacher responded, “D idn’t you know?” 

    “Then ... who’s Spencer?  Or... I mean ... Dr. Hotchner ? ” Genevieve asked puzzled , fearing that she may have inadvertently made a complete fool of herself.

     “You mean Dr.  _ Reid _ -Hotchner . He’ s Jack’s step-dad. I think he married Jack’s dad about a year ago now. But they’ve been together for ages , even before Jack’s mom died. I think soon after the divorce was finalized , if the gossip is anything to go by,” the  woman  said as she walked by, “They ’ re a wonderful couple , aren’t they? So good with Jack.”

 Genevieve could only nod numbly at th e revelation. She was just glad she hadn’t gone all out and asked the man out. He wasn’t just gay , he was  _ married _ . She  kind of  wished the floor would  just  open up and swallow her whole to save her from the embarrassment . At least Spencer hadn’t noticed her pathetic attempts at flirting , though . Or ... maybe he had  noticed and he ’ d been trying to let her down easy. Either way , she was grateful.

Gathering her courage and the  remaining  shreds of her dignity , she walked forward to congratulate and thank Jack and Spencer for their part in the play.

 “Spencer I just wanted to thank you for everything you did to help us with this. We couldn’t have  pulled it off without you,” she said , smiling at the man. She was  a little  surprised at how easy it was to  keep smiling, considering how happily Spencer was beaming back at her. Maybe she would give friendship with  him a try . He was incredibly easy to talk to after all , and they ’ d had a nice time together  when they’d gone out for coffee. With that in mind , she asked, “Maybe I can buy you a  cup of  coffee sometime as thanks for all your help.”

“Sure , I’d like that ,” Spencer easily replied, “ You have my number.” 

 As she walked away she heard a growled comment from the dark-haired man.

“I’m not sure you should be going for coffee with her , Spencer.” 

“Why not? ” the genius countered, “ She’s nice , and I like having friends outside of the team.”

“ I’d say s he ’s being a little bit more than ‘nice’,” the man argued with another growl, “She was  _ flirting _ with you.”

“What? No….come on , Aaron . You ’ve gotta be joking,” Spencer  scoffed .

The dark-haired man,  Aaron apparently, just shook his head emphatically. Spencer stared at him dumbfounded for a few seconds as he  seemed to go  over every interaction in his mind , shaking it all off as inconsequential.

“Well , that explains it ,” Spencer shrugged, “ I guess she thought I was you and didn’t  realize  I was married.” 

“What do you mean?”  Aaron asked

“ S he kept calling me Dr. Hotchner.  Or... it was  actually  Mr. Hotchner  until I corrected her ; and then , well , I didn’t want to  _ keep _ correcting her.  But a nyway , now she knows I’m taken I doubt it ’ ll be a problem.”

 “ But-“

“Besides, she’s more your type than mine,” Spencer  added,  smirking as he linked his fingers with Aaron’s.

 “What do you mean by that ?” Aaron asked , truly puzzled.

“She’s geeky, sweet and awkward at flirting ,” the genius replied, grinning from ear to ear, “ She’s practically a female version of me.”

Genevieve didn’t stick around to hear the spluttered replies of Jack’s father , walking away as she smiled to herself, blushing slightly at what she’d overheard. She ’ d been right after all .  Spencer was perfect for her, even if they were n’ t meant to be more than friends. She would probably have to apologize to  him, but she had a feeling he would understand  because he was right \-- they really were a lot alike .

A nd hey ... maybe Spencer had a brother.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This was the original prompt:
> 
> At least one person (adult or child) partakes in a nativity scene. It doesn't have to be as the second shepherd, writer's choice.


End file.
